The first Labor Day observance happened on September 5, 1882, on a Tuesday at that time, when thousands of workers of the Central Labor Union of New York marched from Fifth Avenue to Union Square (above), where picnics, fireworks, and rallies were held, all in support of an 8-hour workday.

It became a national holiday in 1894, following the deaths of a number of striking Railway Union workers as they were confronted by troops of the Illinois National Guard during the Pullman Strike. After reaching an agreement with the labor movement, President Grover Cleveland rushed legislation through Congress designating the first Monday of September as “National Labor Day”. This was six days after the end of the strike.

Striking Railway Union members confront National Guard troops in Chicago during the Pullman Strike